London-Paris Eurostar-Airline Help
 

I just decided to accompany my husband on a business trip to London in late June and then spend a long weekend in Paris for our anniversary. We must fly into and out of Heathrow.

We will be in London first, take the Eurostar to Paris. A quick search shows the Eurostar now comes into St. Pancras rather than Paddington (I think that is where we always came into from Paris). How can I get from St. Pancras to LHR? The flight my husband wants leaves at 6:30 p.m. everyday from LHR (AA). How much time do you think we should allow to get there? I would like to leave in the AM from Paris and arrive at the LHR in time to take the flight avoiding an overnight in London.

Thanks so much. I'm researching as fast as I can because we need to get our tickets pretty quick so do appreciate any info you can give me. Thank you.

Hi R,

If you don;t have your tickeets yet, it would be cheaper and much less hassle to fly into LHR and out of CDG.

However:

It's 2 hr by train from Paris to London. There is a time change, so it looks like only 1 hr.

I suggest that you be at LHR by 3:30.

((I))

The Eurostar used to end in Waterloo station, not Paddington.

Anyway, from St Pancras, you can simply take the tube - Piccadilly line all the way to Heathrow. No changed needed. The journey on the tube probably takes 1 hour.

Call me conservative, but have you considered what you'd do if your Eurostar train gets cancelled? Or some massive delays?

Good point yk. Thanks for thinking for me.

IRA, my husband is traveling on business - someone elses dime. I did check the flights into London and out of Paris on AA and it costs a lot more. Into London on the 20th and out of London or Paris on July 1. Course if you know something I don't, I would appreciate hearing it. We have to use AA because I am using a mileage ticket. I know, I know, it is going to require many miles but we have a lot (lots of miles, not a lotta money lol). There are award tickets available.

Open jaw would be better if possible. Does the US > London/Paris >US itinerary cost more than the LHR R-T w/ the added cost of the extra Eurostar tix and transport to LHR?

Anyway, w/ that late a flight I would not worry about the Eurostar being late or cancelled. You could book an early a.m. train and plenty of "wiggle room" if things foul up.

My question is -- WHY do you want to take the train back to London?? IMO it would be better to just fly CDG to LHR on the day w/ your bags checked through and not hassle schlepping all the way across London?

I personally would fly US to LHR, Eurostar London to Paris, fly CDG to LHR, LHR to home . . . . .

I know it would be better - I prefer open jaw but as I said, my husband is traveling on business, someone else is buying the ticket.

That said, I am rechecking the LAX-LHR-CDG-LAX route and some prices may have changed and it may be possible. A couple of weeks ago there was a bigger difference (business class) - like $500. Thank you all so much for your input and helping me to think this through.

If you can't manage the open jaw - then as I suggested, flying CDG to LHR makes more sense than taking the Eurostar from Paris to London and then on to LHR.

Great suggestion. Sorry if I missed that. When I checked before, it was quite expensive to fly between CDG and LHR as the cheaper airlines arrive at various outer airports and at odd hours that didn't work. I'll look again.

We have in-put our info many different ways and the only flights that are going to work for us are LAX-LHR-LHR-LAX.

As your London to Paris & back tickets will separate from your home to London & back tickets I'd seriously recommend an overnight stay in London on the return leg

Nothing looks more stupid (or expensive) than being stuck in Paris when you should be boarding at Heathrow

Thanks Alan, appreciate that.

I think I have it figured out. We can get a BA flight from CDG to LHR for $147 so it is probably worth it for peace of mind.

Next question: We are on a BA flight that arrives at LHR at 12:40 and our AA flight is at 3:15 - thats about 2 hrs. 35 minutes between flights. Do you think that is enough time? Wonder if I will have to recheck my bag?

Even if the terminal that BA uses wasn't T5 my earlier comment stands - if you aren't travelling on connecting tickets you need to have an overnight stay in London

The odds are that you will have to pass through UK immigration collect your luggage, change terminals to T3 (unless it's to DFW), recheck your luggage and go through security.

Your point is well taken Alan. I do understand the implications of not traveling on a connecting ticket. I am trying to talk my husband into taking an AA flight from CDG to Chicago and to home but he loves to fly on that triple 7 out of LHR - and it gets home in the evening rather than midnight. We have so little time and I hate to spend it commuting and staying another night in London.

When I called AA today, the BA flight they gave me said it was a BA flight operating as an AA flight (something like that). I'll have to check with AA again and question them further on the connecting flight issue. I do thank you.

Just to let you all know, we have tickets: SJC-LAX-LHR returning CDG-DFW-SJC and all on AA. It makes so much more sense than what my husband wanted to do. He didn't move fast enough on his tickets (I offered to make the reservation over the weekend but he wanted to let his secretary make them on Monday). The fares changed making it cheaper to fly out of Paris than London and oh shucks, it was cheaper to fly home on July 3 than July 1.

Thanks so much for all your input. It really was very helpful in thinking the whole thing through.

The good part is NOW I GET A WEEK IN PARIS! Now I'm trying to find an apartment to rent June 26-July 3. Working on one for around 800 euros.